Aya

We hope this Newsletter finds each of our citizens well.  It is a great time of the year.  Our children are back in school and our college students are back on campus.  We hope all our citizens are taking full advantage of the school supply reimbursement program and our tuition program.  Thank you to our staff and Education Committee for their time and efforts to process and review each application and get these funds out to each one eligible.

Thank you to the Pow Wow Committee and Buffalo Run Casino staff for another successful event.  Our June Pow Wow was pushed indoors because of the ongoing rain which provided for saturated grounds and in turn delayed the improvements to the Peoria Pow Wow grounds and buildings.  We are pleased to announce that the improvements will be finished by late Fall and the 23rd Annual Peoria Pow Wow (June 2020) will be able to showcase our improved grounds.

In addition to the work being done at the Pow Wow grounds there has been some changes happening at Buffalo Run Casino.  To start with, a new sign has been erected on the Interstate 44 side of the property.  In addition, to the new digital sign there is improved landscaping throughout the property and the outdoor concert venue received some updates, just in time to welcome Toby Keith for Labor Day.

The outdoor concert venue has been a busy place this summer!  To start with the City of Miami hosted their Annual 4th of July festivities at the property.  The ongoing rain showers of May and June created flooding at the planned location and the Peoria Tribe and Buffalo Run were happy to be cosponsors and welcome the City and their attendees to our amazing property.  The days activities included many city sponsored activities and the Peoria CCDF was able to step in and provide some GREAT kids activities including:  Camel rides, bounces houses, face painting, and balloon art to name a few things.  The day concluded with a spectacular firework show.

Following this great event, the Peoria CCDF program hosted a “Back to School Bonanza and Movie Night” at the Buffalo Run outdoor venue.  Initially the CCDF program purchased 300 back packs and a variety of school supplies for the backpacks.  However, the large volume of people who showed up, displayed how obvious the need for backpack and school supplies was and the Peoria CCDF Program did a second order of backpacks and supplies.  A second distribution brought the number to 900 backpacks.  For more info on the Peoria CCDF Program go to page 10 of the Newsletter.

In closing we would like to remind everyone of the annual Veteran’s Day Memorial Service to honor tribal veterans, as well as all veterans, on Sunday, November 9, 2019.  The service will be at the Peoria Tribal Cemetery beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Hope to see you all soon!

Craig Harper

Chief